Keeping the Ball Rolling: Saxony's Infrastructure Focus on Growth and Maintenance
Saxony prioritizes growth and upkeep in its infrastructural development - Saxony prioritizes growth in infrastructure development and upkeep.
Saxony's Minister of Infrastructure, Regina Kraushaar (CDU), lays out a clear plan for her department's priorities - housing, innovation, and preserving existing road and bridge infrastructure. In an interview with the German Press Agency, she emphasizes that for Saxony to remain competitive, it must embrace innovation. The region is renowned as the "land of inventors," and Kraushaar believes it's crucial to nurture this legacy.
Less new construction, more maintenance
With tight budgets in mind, Kraushaar suggests focusing less on new construction and more on expanding and preserving infrastructure. Between 2013 and 2022, over 540 million euros worth of road infrastructure assets were lost, despite investing about 400 million euros in preservation during that period. This suggests that wear and tear couldn't be fully mitigated in Saxony, as evident in the partial collapse of the Dresden Carol Bridge.
"Professor Steffen Marx, a bridge expert, puts it simply: A bridge can be used in two ways - either letting traffic run until it needs to be closed due to safety concerns, or investing in its preservation from the beginning, extending its lifespan significantly," Kraushaar explains. Just as one would care for personal belongings, so too should the state care for its infrastructure.
The frugal housewife as inspiration
Kraushaar references former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who used the metaphor of the Swabian housewife to represent financially prudent management. "She wants to protect her family from harm by being smart with money and focusing on what serves her family," says Kraushaar. This holistic approach must also accommodate important aspects of the welfare state, like maintaining a good infrastructure, a strong economy, and a healthy environment.
Resource constraints
Kraushaar admits that her department faces significant spending constraints. Only about one-third of the 625 million euros allocated for the next two years is expected to be available. Many of these funds are already committed, especially in road construction, limiting flexibility for other essential areas.
Advocating for intergenerational fairness
Kraushaar emphasizes the importance of "intergenerationally fair" policy. "We should not burden our grandchildren with too much debt but also leave them a functional infrastructure," she says. Good infrastructure serves as the "background network" that enables various aspects of life, from schools, theaters, and swimming pools to sports facilities, police, and emergency services.
Voter expectations
Kraushaar acknowledges the public's desire for lean civil service structures. "People expect us to self-reflect and not expand the public sector or create unnecessary jobs," she says. A decade of steadily increasing tax revenues was an exceptional situation. "Growth has only been a recent trend. But it was predictable: that's over now."
Policy initiatives
As the first legislative initiative of her department, Kraushaar plans to revise the Street Law. With a majority in the state parliament lacking ten votes for the coalition of CDU and SPD, the support of the opposition is crucial. The law aims to reduce planning efforts by eliminating the need for a plan approval procedure when renovating streets, bridges, or walls. According to recent data, this could save at least a third of these procedures.
- Infrastructure
- Saxony
- Focus
- CDU
- Expansion
- Dresden
- German Press Agency
- Steffen Marx
- Minister Regina Kraushaar of Saxony's CDU party, in a conversation with the German Press Agency, emphasizes the need for the region to prioritize infrastructure expansion and preservation, as it seeks to maintain its competitive edge and honor its legacy as the "land of inventors."
- Professor Steffen Marx, a bridge expert, suggests that a prudent approach to infrastructure investments in Saxony would involve investing in preservation to extend the lifespan of existing structures, rather than allowing wear and tear to necessitate costly repairs or partial collapses, such as with the Dresden Carol Bridge.
- In an effort to promote intergenerational fairness, Minister Kraushaar intends to revise the Street Law, focusing on reducing planning efforts for infrastructure renovation projects, a move she hopes will save resources and increase the Department's focus on vocational training initiatives, thereby contributing to the overall well-being and lifespan of the Saxony community.
